The Latest: 2 Austria firms recall eggs bound for eateries

In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 7, 2017 an egg is being extracted with a pipette in a laboratory of the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office in Krefeld, Germany. Dutch investigators detained two men Thursday who are suspected of being involved in the illegal use of pesticide at poultry farms that sparked a massive food safety scare in several European countries. (Marcel Kusch/dpa via AP)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The Latest on the contaminated egg scare in Europe (all times local):

2:20 p.m.

Upper Austria's provincial government says two companies have recalled eggs possibly tainted with Fipronil and food control agents are conducting additional spot checks of eggs for evidence of the insecticide.

Government official Rudi Anschober says the recall affects hardboiled eggs used by restaurants. He said Friday that the recall already has been completed in one case, with all shipments accounted for before the eggs were delivered.

Anschober says Austria-wide spot checks up until now haven't revealed any traces of the Fipronil in raw eggs destined for grocery store shelves.

It's believed that the insecticide got into the food chain after it was illegally added in Belgium and the Netherlands to a product used to treat poultry for lice, fleas and ticks.

Nordic Egg is part of Germany-based group Waden Group GmbH, which claims to be Europe's largest boiled and peeled eggs company.

The Veterinary and Food Administration says the pesticide wasn't in "a strength that is harmful." But the eggs were ordered withdrawn.

On Thursday, the agency said 20 tons of boiled and peeled eggs had been sold by an unnamed Belgian subcontractor in recent months to a distributor in Denmark, which in turn sold them to canteens, cafes and catering companies in the country.

Samples analyzed had showed traces of Fipronil, and the Danish distributor, Danaeg Products was ordered to recall the eggs because "the content is illegal" but "not dangerous."

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1:55 p.m.

The European Union says it wants to hold an extraordinary meeting late next month to discuss the egg contamination scandal.

European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said Friday that a provisional date for EU ministers and authorities concerned by the scandal to meet has been set for Sept. 26.

Andreeva said "the aim is to draw the relevant lessons and discuss the ways to continuously improve the effectiveness of the EU system to deal with food fraud."

She said the EU's "priority remains to manage the situation, to continue to coordinate and to reassure our citizens."

Several producers in the Netherlands and Belgium are under investigation after eggs there were found to have been treated with a product containing pesticide Fipronil. EU trade and agriculture spokesman Daniel Rosario said Friday that farms have also been blocked in France and Germany.

He named 13 other countries that have received products from affected farms.

The semi-autonomous Chinese territory of Hong Kong was the only non-European place mentioned. Rosario said the others are Sweden, Britain, Austria, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Denmark and non-EU member Switzerland.

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10:10 a.m.

France's agriculture minister says tests on imported eggs contaminated with pesticide show no risk to public health.

Stephane Travert said on RMC radio Friday that some 244,000 eggs imported from the Netherlands and Belgium and sold in France were affected by the contamination from pesticide Fipronil. They are among millions of contaminated eggs sold in several European countries, prompting a continent-wide food safety scare.

Travert said test results received overnight from the French food safety agency on affected eggs and egg products showed "the level of contamination does not present a risk for the consumer."

It's believed that the insecticide got into the food chain when it was illegally added to a product used to treat poultry for lice, fleas and ticks.

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9:25 a.m.

Danish food safety authorities say 20 tons of boiled and peeled eggs linked to the pesticide scandal in the Netherlands and Belgium were sold in recent months to a distributor in Denmark, which in turn sold them to canteens, cafes and catering companies in the country.

The Veterinary and Food Administration says samples analyzed in the Netherlands showed traces of Fipronil, but "not at a harmful level."

The agency said Thursday the Danish distributor, Danaeg Products, has been ordered to recall the eggs because "the content is illegal" but "not dangerous."

The Danish watchdog added that Danaeg Products bought the eggs from an unnamed Belgian subcontractor.

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Upper Austria's provincial government says two companies have recalled eggs possibly tainted with Fipronil and food control agents are conducting additional spot checks of eggs for evidence of the insecticide